Chart: The Extra-Caffeinated Cost of a Starbucks Latte in China

As more Chinese travel overseas and shop online, many are hit with the realization that they’re paying far more a variety of ordinary goods—from shoes and infant formula to mobile phones and cars. As The Wall Street Journal reports today, government taxes and import tariffs are to blame for a lot of the price discrepancy, but for years the burgeoning Chinese middle class has been willing to pay more for products with consumer cachet, particularly imported goods.

One place where Chinese consumers pay significantly more than their wealthier Western counterparts is in the coffee shop. Below is a break-down of the cost of a Starbucks grande latte in China, which costs nearly $1 more than in the U.S. (Note that average per capita income in China is around $7,500, compared to more than $42,500 in the U.S.)

Many Chinese shoppers complained last year when Starbucks Corp. raised its prices in China. They flooded microblogging sites with emoticons of sobbing faces, moaning about the “pain.”

“In the past, a larger size cost two more kuai and now it costs three. It’s so painful,” said one user of the Sina Weibo microblogging site, using the Chinese slang term of the yuan, China’s currency. “Where are the price control authorities this time?” a user in Beijing complained, referring to instances in which Chinese economic bodies, aiming to prevent unrest due to high inflation, prevent food companies from passing on higher prices to consumers.

A spokeswoman for Starbucks said prices vary by market. Chinese consumers like larger stores with more seats, which accounts for higher real estate costs built into the price, she said, adding: “ For many customers in China, our stores are a social destination where they want to sit down and enjoy their favorite drinks and food with their friends and families.”

Unlike buyers of other high-end goods, mainland China’s coffee drinkers are stuck with higher prices. While it might be worthwhile to drop down to Hong Kong for a cheaper Hermes bag, it’s a long way to travel for a cut-rate cappuccino.